Plastic slide shoe for fin tube radiator



Aug. 16, 1966 D. c. SINCLAIR PLASTIC SLIDE SHOE FOR FIN TUBE RADIATOR Filed June 25, 1964 INVENTOR.

DOA/A LD C. SINCL AIR 3,266,563 PLASTIC SLIDE SHOE FOR FIN TUBE RADIATOR Donald C. Sinclair, Westfield, Mass., assignor to Sterling Radiator Co., Inc., Westfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 25, 1964, Ser. No. 377,826 1 Claim. '(Cl. 165--82) This invention relates to plastic shoes for fin tube radiator structures and particularly to a so-called slide shoe for use with supporting brackets or hangers on which a fin t-u be element may 'be mounted in conventional manner.

More particularly the invention relates to plastic slide shoes for shoe type hangers used either independently or with universal support brackets for mounting a fin tube radiator element having fins of rectangular outline along a wall surface.

' In the art of fin tu'be radiator assemblies and supporting structures therefor many efforts have been made to simplify the various elements from the standpoint of structural characteristics, of manufacturing procedures, of ease in handling and installation, or neatness and compactness of appearance together with reliability and efiiciency in operation, and reduction in material and labor costs.

United States Patent It is the primaryobject of the present invention to provide an improved plastic slide shoe for use with conventional hangers of fin tube elements of the class described consistent with the above ends and effecting economies in the cost of manufacture, in shipping costs, and in costs of handling and installation,'all without sacrificing reliability and efiiciency in operation.

These and related objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof as shown by the attached drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a slide shoe embodying the invention in open flat condition as formed in a mold;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the shoe shown by FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the shoe in fastened condition surrounding a finned tube element;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of one type of wall installation of an element including a covering panel and showing the shoe in operative position;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of another type of wall installation; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view to show detail of the hinge line area of a corner panel.

The plastic slide shoe of this invention as illustrated by the drawings is specifically designed for use with fin tubed radiator elements of square or rectangular outline as indicated by the plurality of plates 2 (FIG. 3). These plates or fins are mounted in longitudinally closely spaced relation on a tube 4 in conventional manner and make up a fin tube element designated generally by numeral 6. The shoes are, furthermore, specifically designed for a type of installation in which an element=6 is mounted by supporting the fins at their lower edges at spaced intervals on shelf-like brackets or hangers, examples of which are shown at 8 in FIGS. 3 and 5 and at 9 in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the shoe comprises an integrally formed unit which is preferably fabricated by conventional plastic molding processes as a flat strip. The plastic material is preferably polypropylene but may be any similar suitable plastic such as polyethylene, nylon, and the like. As best shown by FIG. 2, the shoe has four spaced rectangular corner panel members 10 and 12 connected by narrow straps 14 integrally joined centrally of the panels. The end panels 12 are provided with short strap portions 16 and 18. The free ends of the portions 16 and 18 have interengageable snap fastener means for 3,266,563 Patented August 16, 1966 attaching the two ends together. As shown strap 16 is formed with a hole 20 at its free end while strap 18 is formed with a projecting lug at 22 having a double taper so that it may be snapped into the hole 20 of strap 16.

Disposed transversely of the connecting straps 14 and dividing each of the panel members 10 and 12 into hinged ly related sections are hinge line portions at 24. The hinge portions are formed by a pair of aligned slots 26 with connecting tab pieces 28 at the center and each end of the area 24. The tabs are integral webs of material and as best shown by FIGS. 1 or 6 are of a reduced thickness in comparison to the material of the panel sections. The tabs thus connect the two sections adjacent the outer face of the panels for the desired hinge action.

The sections of each panel 10 and 12 are thus hingedly related so that the sections can each be swung into right angular relation so as to form a box-like unit when wrapped around a fin tube element (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5). The fastener means joins the free ends of the straps 16 and 18 at the top of the finned element. The slotted hinge portions 24, when constructed as above described, permit a sharp right angled relation, the sections of each panel member 16 or 12 hugging each of the four corners of the finned element 6.

As will be noted the central panel members of the unit snugly embrace the lower corners of the fins and the outer panels 12 hug the upper corners thereof. Between the hinge portions 24 of the two central panels 10 and between the hinge portions 24 of each end and central panel on the inner surface of the strip are raised ribs 30 (see FIG. 2). The three ribs 30 are in longitudinal alignment and when the unit is installed on the element 6, the ribs are all positioned between the edges of a single pair of adjacent fins 2. Relative sliding movement between the shoe and the element itself in either direction is thus effectively confined. Since the shoe is designed'for sliding movement together with the element on a hanger or bracket support, the ribs 30 thus prevent any accidental displacement of the shoe relative to the fins or plates during contraction and expansion of the tube element.

On the outer surface of the adjacent spaced inner sections of the two central panel members 10 are provided a pair of spaced ribs 32 parallel to the hinge portions 24. In the embodiment of the hanger 8 shown by FIG. 5, the horizontal support of the bracket is provided with a pair of spaced hemispherical protuberances or humps 36. The ribs 32 on the bottom of each central panel section are for straddling hump 36 so that the shoe slides on a metal bearing point to further reduce friction.

A rib 38 at the outer or underside of the central strap 14 between ribs 32 is provided to add rigidity. It will also be appreciated that ribs 30 and 32 in addition to the functions above outlined also impart added rigidity.

Referring now to FIG. 4 the shoe is shown mounted on element 6 in a wall installation, the element being supported on horizontal portion of a bracket 9 fixed as by lag screws 40 to the wall. A cover member 42 is also shown, the top of the cover having a downwardly turned lip 44 caught on a hanger strip 46 fixed to the wall at the top of the bracket and the lower edge of the cover being turned inwardly for fastening attachment at 48 to the under edge of bracket 9.

As is customary the finned element 6 is supported by a series of spaced brackets along a wall and during heating and cooling cycles the element 6 will expand and contract thus moving back and forth relative to the supports. The function of the lower corner panel members in riding on the horizontal portion of the bracket to prevent noise and injury to fins when the element expands and contracts will be readily seen. As for the upper corner panels, the showing of FIG. 4 indicates an ideal positioning thereof and sufficient spacing between the cover and the vertical bracket portion. However, it will be seen that if element 6 is left in a tipped condition when originally installed as in a counterclockwise position from that shown, the upper edges of the fin may rub against vertical wall of the cover. If tipped in a clockwise condition the opposite upper corner may rub against the vertical bracket part. In either event an upper corner panel 12 of the shoe will engage these surfaces thus preventing injury to the fins or an objectionable noise factor. It is well known in the trade that in fitting lengths of finned elements together or in fitting inlet and outlet connections together the fin tubes themselves may not be precisely set with respect to the hanger structures. The plastic shoe thus accommodates a margin of error in this respect.

In FIG. a further conventional type of wall hanging is shown in which a slide hanger 8 is hung as at 50 on a bracket 9', similar to the bracket 9 of FIG. 4. In FIG. 5 a single tier installation is indicated but as will be appreciated the bracket 9 represents a common type used for a double or triple tier installation. It will be appreciated further that humps 36 may be dispensed with in which case the shoe will rest on the planar surface comparable to that shown by FIG. 4.

The shoe unit as described being made in a substantially flat form except for projecting lug 22 lends itself to the economies previously mentioned with respect to the formation of a plastic mold for fabricating the same. Also as a flat article the units maybe shipped in economical packages and with a minimum of waste shipping space. At the point of installation the plastic shoes are easily handled merely by snapping around the fin tube element with a minimum of handling. They may, of course, be easily shifted if necessary to register accurately with a hanger bracket. Being made of plastic and protecting the four corners of the element noiseless operation of a heating installation is assured without any tendency for the shoe to shift out of place.

What is claimed is:

A slide shoe of molded polypropylene material for application to radiator tube elements provided with longitudinally closely spaced rectangular fins and for engagement therewith at support positions spaced along the length of said elements, said shoe comprising a unitary molded flat strip having four spaced corner panel members connected centrally of their end edges by narrow straps and strap portions extending from each end panel provided with interengageable snap fastener means at the outer ends of said portions, each said panel being divided transversely of said strip into hingedly related corner panel sections with the hinge line area of said panels being defined by perforations and spaced integral con nector tab pieces of reduced thickness joining said sections adjacent the outer face of the panel, the inner face of said strip having aligned ribs upraised from the surface thereof extending between said hinge lines of the panels along the longitudinal center 'line of said strip, the outer face of adjacent spaced sections of the two central panel members each having a pair of spaced upraised ribs extending transversely of said center line.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,149,808 9/1964 Weckesser 24874 3,152,637 10/1964 Ronn et a1. 16582 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Examiner.

T. W. STREULE, Assistant Examiner. 

